Fact #83210

A mother, wearing a traditional white headscarf, goes to the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America, to hand in a letter to the country's military leader, Videla, asking about her 'disappeared' son. She is sent away but, moments later, she links arms with another woman and begins walking in silence around the square. Eventually, a small group of women are walking round the square in pairs. At the time, a government order banned assemblies of more than three people so, by walking in pairs, they could not be broken up by police. Every Thursday since that day the Mothers of The Disappeared have walked around Plaza de Mayo carrying photographs of their lost loved ones. The white headscarf, worn on that April day 35 years ago, became the symbol of the unity of the group. The songs They Dance Alone by Sting and Mothers Of The Disappeared by U2 are about this protest.